


Seeking a fiend for the end of the world

by halfwingangel



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Ending, Battle, Character Death Fix, Daemons, Developing Friendships, Gen, Gender-neutral Reader, Magic, No beard this time, Strong Language, We all want to bring Ravus back, World of Ruin (Final Fantasy), World of Ruin Big Bang (Final Fantasy XV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29309682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfwingangel/pseuds/halfwingangel
Summary: Everyone took Ravus for dead but, apparently, there was something about daemons we didn't know. Fortunately, you, a lonely hunter abandoned in a foreign continent trying to get to Lestallum in the middle of the eternal darkness, were there to help.You had nothing better to do anyway.
Relationships: Ravus Nox Fleuret & Reader
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11
Collections: World of Ruin Big Bang





	1. "We're fucked, Bob."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot to Lucenia Maem for the art for this fic, you can find them on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LuceniaMaem?s=09) and [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/luceniamaem). 
> 
> Also to the mods of the World of Ruin Big Bang for all their efforts and letting this be a super nice event to be in. 
> 
> We have everything for all tastes. So, enjoy a crazy journey.

"Of all places...," soliloquies had become a habit in you, "I had to get stuck in here." You kept walking along the steep mountain path, already used to the sounds, to the cold wind. And to the eternal darkness.

"First, that fucking rift -shit!" your foot slipped a little on a rock, "where I almost froze my ass to death. And now this-agh!" bent ankle, and you high pitched your tone because of the pain, "-damn mountain." Your language could be really inappropriate when you found yourself in a stressful situation, and even more so now that you were always alone… and nothing mattered anymore.

Adjusting the strap of the bag that crossed your torso and the ones from the backpack, you held on tighter to the hanging branches and overhanging stones to keep going down, not paying much attention to the prick of pain in your ankle with each step.

The forever gray-green sky that horribly darkened the daylight hours was giving way to the deep black that had stolen the stars of the night so many days ago.

"Thank you, gods," you continued, on flatter terrain now that you reached the foot of the mountain, "these have been great years, truly. This freaking dark is amazing. Being left alone in this filthy continent is my dream come true and now I don't know how the hell am I going to -" You came to halt, suddenly alerted by a sound you knew well.

Grunts. Perfect.

You'd been following the creature for several days. So, you took out your crossbow and hid behind a big stone, looking for the source.

And there it was. Wandering around as it did every day.

It was strange. Always walking nowhere but always moving forward. It didn't seem to pay attention to the other creatures unless they got too close and it wasn't particularly aggressive, despite its large size.

It was clearly a plagued being. The black fluid flowing through its misshapen body was unmistakable. But what had most intrigued you was that it appeared to have been a human form, probably a man. Or at least part of it.

The darkness didn't allow you to distinguish its form well in the distance, so you'd never been able to see its face. And you never dared to get too close since you'd seen what it had done to others who did.

Until now.

The creature seemed to stop by a thick tree, giving you a chance to get around it and take a closer look. Hidden among the nearby bushes, you observed it carefully. A large arm emerged from its disproportionate left side, seeming to take root in its chest. On the left side of its head, a large horn, which extended its base almost halfway down its face.

Its face. It turned to look in your direction.

You'd been discovered. 

You froze, unsure if its dark eyes were really looking at you until it resumed its march and started walking towards your hiding place.

It was slow and gave you time to crawl to the base of a rock and beg the gods not to be seen. Its big, dragged steps grew closer and closer. You, crouching further among the petrified roots that sprouted from the rock. 

It was right there.

So close that you could see the black fluid throbbing in its chest, the strands of silver hair on the right side of its head, its mouth open as if the air were not enough.

The line of its jaw, its defined nose. Its broad shoulders and neck. It was too tall, but... It had definitely been a man.

"Arr...," he growled deep. His breathing was heavy. "... Di...mmm..."

He continued on his way with tortuous steps without spotting you while you kept trying to sink deeper into the stone and brush. Maybe he never saw you, though.

He passed by without you losing sight of him and you decided to follow. By confirming your suspicions that this wasn't just any daemon, you couldn't lose him. And this hunt had been going on for many days, anyway.

Stalking his footsteps, covering yourself in the tall grass and the big rocks, you heard him growl again.

"I... C-curs..."

What? Was he...?

Impossible. The darkness had to be making you imagine things. You stood still, watching and listening, the crossbow always ready in your hand.

"... Curse you..."

Holy. Fuck. 

That wasn't just a grunt.

... He spoke.

This twisted, man-shaped thing spoke.

An urgent feeling took you instantly. You didn't know what or who he was but you had to help him. This wasn't normal, the daemons did _not_ speak. That man must still be in there somewhere.

The potions you'd been perfecting with Kimya back in the woods had to work. You hadn't had a chance to try them but you were confident in your skills and in her teachings. Maybe no one trusted her, not even her family but you did. You saw her potions working many times and this man needed them now.

But how could you give it to him? Once, you saw how he smashed a bussemand that dared to get too close. And that one was lucky.

Suddenly, you heard a different growl this time. A really scary one. 

An iron giant appeared out of nowhere behind you, not only leaving you frozen for a second but drawing the attention of the half-man.

You knew you couldn't take one of these but you aimed the crossbow anyway, ready to distract it and run as you'd done before when you were unlucky enough to meet one, when the half-man launched himself at it in such a quick motion that made you take a step back.

He smashed his left arm against one of the giant's legs and staggered it before it could swing its huge sword. The giant stepped back and the half man dug his arm into the ground, sprouting tentacles that caught the giant's legs and knocked it down. The black fluid that you saw throbbing, now seemed to glow with each hit.

Lying on the ground, the giant tried to rise heavily but before he could do so, the half-man struck him with such a powerful blow to the head that he immediately knocked out the huge creature.

Three hits. Three hits were all it took from him to get rid of it.

You'd been petrified watching the brief confrontation with the crossbow still armed and hadn’t realized that you were exposed. When you reacted and took a step back to turn around, the gaze of the half-man snapped to you and in a motion as fast as the one you'd seen before, he caught you and lifted you by the neck with his human hand, smashing you against the rock you intended to use as a hiding place before you were discovered.

"No- pl...ease!" you gasped, slowly choking under his powerful grasp. "P- lease..." your voice coming out almost muted. Hands scratching his desperately and legs kicking in the air, looking for support anywhere.

"Aaarr..." he kept grunting, his mouth opening and closing meaninglessly. You could see that black liquid coming out of his eyes like tears.

With the last breaths you had left and feeling like your head was starting to expand, you shoved one of your hands into the cross-body bag you carried and searching frantically, you took the first bottle you found and smashed it in his face. He released you immediately, shaking his head madly and bringing a hand to his face, growling louder than ever.

You fell to the ground on your knees, coughing nonstop and gasping desperately for air, reaching a hand to your neck to try to ease the pain. Agitated, you saw that he moved erratically, grunting, reaching out a hand like trying to grab something. Opening your bag when the cough ceased, you realized that you'd used in him one of the potions to blind temporarily.

This was your chance. 

Without wasting a second and having regained some breath, you took the potion you needed and ran to him. Dodging a blow from his misshapen arm, you slipped away and threw the bottle into the throbbing black fluid of his chest, then running to hide quickly under the steep exit of a surrounding rock. You didn't know what to expect, so you just watched.

He began to breathe heavily, bellowing with each exhalation. Suddenly he screamed. A scream so loud that it made you cover your ears with your hands and so furious that it surely drove away any creature for miles around.

Bending over his stomach, he fell awkwardly to one knee, black liquid seeping thickly from his face and chest. His hands rested on the ground, roaring, scratching at the soil. His breathing slowed down and the thick black jelly stopped flowing. Something fell off from his head. The sounds he made became inaudible until his strength was drained and he fell heavily on his side. You could only see his back and his gray hair. Unable to say if he was breathing.

You came out of hiding but your strength was also gone, so you leaned on the stone and slowly slid down until you were sitting with your legs extended and your arms falling at your sides. The throat was still sore from the strong grip that almost took life out of you, each inspiration was like sandpaper that burned you inside.

And you just stood there, looking at him. For a moment you didn't care too much if he lived or died. All around was silence. In all the time you've been wandering and hunting him, you've never had such a moment of peace. Not a single movement in sight, not a creature suddenly appearing from the darkness. Just the wind blowing in the black night.

Until you gathered strength to get up and walked very slowly towards him, stepping on branches on purpose to see if you got any reaction, although, if so, you doubted you could survive another battle.

Suddenly, he slightly moved his arm and made a sound from his throat as if he were making the greatest effort of his life, lying in a fetal position and with the forces he had left, he turned to lie on his back on the ground.

You couldn't believe what you were seeing.

He just moved and he was breathing. His torn, half-naked torso moved with each breath, the raw flesh where once there was only a black mass. He no longer had a horn but his skin seemed purple. The prosthetic arm now visible but it seemed not to respond like the other one.

You recognized him immediately. How the hell did he get to this…?

Pulling one of the few remaining healing potions out of your backpack, you knelt hesitantly beside him and broke the vial in your hands near his wounded chest. He looked at you with unfocused eyes and clenched his jaw. You knew the potion was not enough to completely heal him but it would be enough for a little while.

"Hey," you dared to say. His eyes searched around, perhaps for the remaining effect of the potion you'd used before or for the transformation he had undergone. You couldn't know it.

"It's okay," you continued, "you're not alone." His eyes seemed to look at the sky. Who knows if he could see something after all in so much darkness. After everything you imagined that he would have had to go through, after whatever could have happened to his mind.

You looked around trying to find a place to take him and saw, not far away, the blue light emanating from a haven.

"We have to move from here, you know?" you spoke to him but he made no move in response. You began to doubt that he could hear you, so you stood by his other side and took his arm with one of your hands to try to get him up, pulling on the frayed hanging sleeve with the other. "Come on, you have to get up."

He turned his face to your side and you saw he tried to move his left shoulder. His prosthetic arm was not responding, so you moved now to his head and put your hands under his shoulders to help him.

"Come on, man, help me get you out of here." You pushed him up as he leaned awkwardly on his right arm until he managed to sit up. Then you went to kneel quickly in front of him with a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from falling again.

"Now I need you to get up, okay?" You were starting to get nervous because the silence was beginning to get interrupted by the creatures of the night again. He seemed to look into your eyes then, the white was reddened and his eyelids dark. “I don't want to push you but we'll have to move fast.” He leaned over to his right and with a great effort, he knelt as you helped him, supporting the left side, taking care not to touch the still exposed flesh that hadn’t completely healed with the potion. “Great, great,” you said breathily, “now up.”

You took his right arm and put it over your shoulders. It was very heavy and he was too big, although he was no longer as tall as you thought when you found him, for some reason. 

“Come…on,” you helped him up with a great exertion and you both wobbled when he was on his feet and almost about to fell again. “Woah…okay, okay,” you tried to regain your balance and he seemed to do it, too, when you grabbed him around his waist. “Okay, now,” taking a big breath through your mouth, “let’s go.”

You started walking with him leaning on you and his steps were awkward, he almost shuffled and seemed not to coordinate one step with another. It was as if he were remembering how to walk, until he managed to do it in a more normal way and you could start moving a little faster.

The sounds that had been silenced by the battle with the giant began to sound louder and closer again. As you walked, you looked off to the side over his arm and saw the figure of an alberich jumping fast among the trees in the distance. Then the break of a branch behind startled you and without looking back you accelerated your pace. “Come on,” you pushed him, “I wouldn’t want to leave you here.”

Your heart started pounding and your breathing became labored with effort and fear. You almost began to run when you heard the roar of a bomb and felt him start leaning more and more over you, his steps became clumsy again and he was making incomprehensible noises from his throat. “Just a little more,” you nervously said, seeing the haven so close now but convinced that you were no longer alone.

You looked over his arm again and saw a ronin fast approaching. That wasn’t good. That was so not good. Those things were lethal and the only thing that could save you was the haven that was already a few steps away but then the man began to lose strength and bend his knees with his arm hanging from you while he barely raised his legs. “No, no, no, no! Come on, man!” You shouted, trying to hold him up but you couldn't bear his weight and he fell.

The creatures kept coming closer and you went into something close to panic. “No!” You made a superhuman effort and without knowing how, with a grunt from your throat, you took him by the armpits and quickly walking backwards, you dragged him across the ground. One of the bombs came at full speed and got so close that you had to drop him suddenly and grab your crossbow. You aimed and shot it twice. The shiny thing growled and fell back momentarily, giving you time to take him by the arms again and keep pulling.

Too many noises, too close. 

The ronin started running towards you when the blue light of the shelter was already lighting you from behind. _Is it a fucking ayakashi?_ No! Too damn close! The force in your arms was running out. _Come on!_ You took him tighter from the arms and walked faster backwards. The creature raised the sword. _No!_ Backwards faster. _No! No!_

You lost your balance and fell backwards hitting something hard. You saw the thing in the eye when it looked up under its straw hat and as you could, with the other man collapsed on your lap, you took out the sword that you had tied to your belt to try to defend yourself from the indefensible. You weren't leaving without a fight.

But it stopped.

The damn thing stopped a few steps from you with the sword held high, ready to strike.

Breathing so labored that you whistled every time air came in, you were left stunned. It _was_ a freaking ayakashi, you could see it by the color of his kimono now that he was so near. For gods’ sake. It adjusted his long katana, putting it over his shoulder and turned around. No other creature came close. All of them around you like waiting for a single mistake to make you pay.

So, you just stayed there. Recovering your breath, feeling the weight of the man on your legs, totally unconscious. When you turned your head a little, you realized that you were leaning against the rocks of the haven, those blue figures glowing brighter due to the closeness of the daemons. You took a deep breath, relieved that nothing could attack you here anymore, and you could have just lay there with him on top because suddenly the force seemed to have left your body, but you couldn't do it because he was still injured and required your attention.

Taking another impulse, you got up heavily, taking care that he wasn't going to hit himself on the head. “Okay, pal, we made it,” you said as you left him delicately on the ground and recognized the place, trying to figure out how to take him to the top of the big rock.

And there was no other choice. You would have to drag him just like you had somehow brought him here. Looking into the distance with hands on your hips, you realized that you’d come a long way with him in your arms. It was almost a miracle that you both were still alive.

After taking a look at the place and planning where you would put the tent, you took the potion that would help you here. Smashing it against the rock, the great structure began to glow so much brighter that you had to cover your eyes. When the light dimmed a bit, you opened them to watch the daemon horde scatter back into darkness.

You’d never have a way to thank Kimya enough for teaching you this.

Then you came back for the man whom you had left at the foot of the rock. Gathering strength and squatting, you took him by the armpits again and began to climb him up the rock slowly. It was more difficult now that the adrenaline was not in your bloodstream and the slope seemed steeper than in other havens.

“Why- did you have to be so tall?” you strived as you spoke, pulling the large body up the rock. Your left hand was almost touching the exposed flesh on his chest and his limbs hanging inert, following the contours of the stone.

On reaching the flat surface, you gently laid him on the ground and made sure he was still breathing. His ripped chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly with each inhalation and exhalation, and the skin of his face seemed even paler in the darkness interrupted by the blue glow of the rock-carved figures. Knelt by his side and after dropping your backpack and weapons, you took another potion out of your bag and broke it over his wound. The dark lines that crossed under his skin began to disappear again and the hole closed, leaving only a small stretch of exposed flesh that could heal on its own. He took a deep breath but didn't wake up, perhaps too exhausted.

Drained, you sat next to him almost dropping your weight, bending your knees and cradling them with your arms. In the middle of the darkness, you looked at the man only illuminated by the blue glow. So much time had passed already. It had been many long weeks since you had contact with another human being, not since your partner died horribly after being attacked by that ariadne without having a single phoenix down at hand. Never, in the months that you've been wandering alone, have you stopped feeling guilty about it.

Now, amid that thick haze day and night, you’d given up hope of ever finding another person. The villages that had been left without electricity were deserted and destroyed since the nightfall and it seemed that there was no safe place left, or perhaps they’d all succumbed to the daemons because you’d never seen another living being again.

And yet, there he was. You didn't know if he would wake up again but he was breathing and his heart was beating. You saw him move and look at you and that was enough to give you hope. Never before the darkness had you been bothered by being alone but now every time you arrived at the ruins of some small village or farm in the middle of some land, you begged to find someone alive. You could never find anyone, though, only this half daemon. You thought you’d finally gone crazy when you had a hunch and started chasing him but now you realized you never were. It wasn’t what you expected to find on your long walks but he was there and you had to do what you could to help him.

So, getting up with some effort and feeling the tiredness in your thighs, you took your tent and started to set it up not far from where he was. When you finished it, you grabbed your sleeping bag and tucked it inside along with an extra blanket. It was always cold now. You left all your stuff inside and went back to him.

His torso was only half covered by the threads of the clothes hanging from his right side, which you carefully removed. He still had his pants on _—_ thank the gods _—_ , and his dirty boots were worn from the non-stop walk he surely had. He urgently needed a coat.

You examined his left arm and removed the pointed armor set that covered it, untying the straps that held it in place. The prosthetic arm looked covered in something like dark gray leather but you found no signs of it being broken or damaged.

“Now I can dress you,” you said, now that the armor hinder was gone. Going into the tent, you searched through your backpack and found a T-shirt and a hoodie that had belonged to your former partner. You looked at them and thanked him in silence because now they would serve the man lying on the ground.

Clothes in hand, you returned to your protégé and looking at him, you doubted that they would fit. But it was the biggest thing at hand, so you had to try.

“Alright, sir,” you spoke to him, kneeling at his head, “let's see if this size fits you,” and you picked him up, pushing him by the shoulders, leaving him seated and leaning on your shoulder while you grabbed the shirt. Then, turning your torso and resting his back on your chest, you grabbed the shirt over the top and tucked his head in.

“If you don't like it, we have it in other colors,” you continued while you took one arm and put it through the hole and then did the same with the other. Then you slightly pushed him away from you with one hand to pull the shirt down and finish settling it. “Okay, looks good. Now, what do you think if we go to the jackets department?” You dropped him gently, totally flabby, onto your chest again.

You tried to grab the hoodie but you couldn't reach it, so you laid him back on your shoulder, holding him almost on your back so you could stretch a little more. Then extending your arm and leaning forward a little, you managed to take it but you felt how his weight slid quickly to the side. “Woah! No, no, no,” you managed to grab him before he fell sideways against the rock. “That would have hurt,” you said, placing him back on your chest to put the hoodie in the same way you’d put the shirt.

“Well, you look good,” you spoke to the man lying on you, warmer now, breathing rhythmically but still unconscious. Leaving him on the ground again, you went back to the tent and prepared the sleeping bag. You returned to his side and took him by the arms again, using your last amount of strength to drag him inside and accommodate him. The bag didn't cover his body completely, he was certainly quite tall but it would at least serve to keep him warm and somewhat comfortable as he woke up again. If he ever did.

After taking the blanket that you had tied to the backpack, you spread it on the floor next to him and lay down on it. It wasn't the first time you would have to practically sleep on the floor, so it was fine. Exhausted, you gave him one last look and made sure once more that he was breathing. It was so slow that it was almost unnoticeable but he was doing it. So, you arranged the bag better, covering him a little more and then turned around with your face towards him.

You gave a final sigh and hearing the song of distant grunts outside that lulled you every night, the sleep beat your body quickly.

You would take care of everything in some hours.

Not alone anymore, you drifted away.


	2. "You're not a total stranger, and these aren't my last days."

“Ar…dyn,” he murmured. “I… cu-rse…you...”

You've heard him say the same phrase several times in the last couple of days since you brought him back. Always between dreams, he seemed to get agitated and repeated the same thing over and over again, breathing fast and contorting his face. Who was this Ardyn? You had no idea but whoever he was, was deeply ingrained in this man's memories. And they were not pleasant ones. 

“Hey,” you whisper gently by his side, slightly shaking his arm. His features seemed to relax and slowed down his breathing, sinking into a deep sleep once more.

Almost three days had passed, but at least he was still breathing.

“Ok,” you knelt by his left side. “Time for your check-up,” and lifted the hoodie and the shirt he had on to take a look at his wound. Completely closed, no other potion had been needed. The pink flesh took place on most of the left side of his torso and around it, the pale skin appeared to be healthy. But perhaps too pale. “Man, you need to wake up and eat,” you said as you sat on your calves after sighing. The healing potions managed to sustain him for a while but they couldn't substitute for food. And he didn't seem to want to wake up.

After arranging his clothes again, you left the tent. The flame burned slowly in the campfire but it was enough to give the place some heat and to help keep the daemons a little more at bay as the potion's effect began to wear off. You still had some of the cans of food that you’d found on the way in the towns you passed through, so you took one and sat near the fire. It was practically the only thing that could be found. Nothing was growing anymore due to the lack of light and the animals had died either from infection or from lack of sustenance.

There were already very few fish in the lakes and the few that you managed to catch were generally very small. At least you still found water but you always had to make a fire to boil it in order to drink it, just to be sure. There was little food you found in the abandoned stores, if you found any these days and there were few bushes, making it difficult to find ingredients for the potions you knew how to make. They were already running out. You really needed to get to Lestallum, soon. 

That radio transmission you heard so many days ago inviting all the refugees was the only thing that had kept you away from madness, trying to find a way to reach the last beacon of humanity on Eos. Otherwise, you didn't know if you would still be sane... or alive.

You finished your canned food and sighed, trying to make out the shadows moving in the distance. You were a hunter, yes, one of the good ones but with the way things were these days sometimes you were surprised that you had lasted so long.

"Okay," you said as you stood up, time to silence those thoughts and continue in the fight for survival. Now you had to fight for two. Again for two. How weird that that sounded in your mind now. 

"Hey," you spoke to the man covered with the sleeping bag when you entered the tent to grab some things, "I'll be right back, okay? Don't go anywhere."

With your fishing rod in hand, a pair of hooks, your crossbow and your dagger, you took one last look at the man who sighed in his dreams, then prayed the gods to protect him while you were gone. Even though you were sure they had forgotten him, you, and all of Eos long ago.

You remembered seeing a lake nearby, big enough for you to have some luck. Studying the surroundings of the haven, you didn't see much activity. The daemons surely appeased by the light and the little amount of movement during the last two days, you were always careful to do as little as possible so as not to draw their attention to where you both were. Something you learned the hard way in the past few months. 

Carefully descending the rock lit by the sacred forms, you crouched down to follow a path of bushes up a small mountain. A flan was prowling in the distance  _ — _ ew, so you waited until it turned around to walk quickly to the bottom of the formation where the rocks hid you.

Sneaking around these days was usually a work of patience, waiting for the right moment to outwit death once more. 

The rocks hid you and led you to the front of the lake where you stood watching for some time. Lots of dead vegetation around, logs, tall bushes. There was a small pier, which meant there had been good fishing once, maybe there was still something left but staying there was too exposed. Some of the rocks that surrounded the lake were high enough to protect you from the smaller daemons, there was nothing else. So, crouching, you headed to one of the highest and hoped you would be lucky enough to catch something relatively fast and not bump into something bigger than a goblin.

The water was still as always, because the wind was hardly blowing anymore. In front of the greenish mirror that was the lake, you settled against one of the formations and after settling the lure, you cast the line. You remained always attentive to the surroundings, alert to any small sound.

After a while something bit, not very big, so trying to be as quiet as you could, you took it out and cast the line once more hoping to get lucky again. Another small fish took the hook and tired -and nervous, you sent the line into the water one last time.

A very close sound startled you and immediately you grabbed the crossbow sharpening your hearing. For a moment everything was silent until the crack of a branch sounded closer this time. Something took the bait. Great. Retracting the line slowly, trying not to make a noise, you were bringing the prey towards you while the sounds kept getting closer.

A small, high-pitched sound like a laugh. You knew what it was.

Quickening the winding of the line, you snuggled closer against the rock. That thing was on the left. You almost had the fish in your hand when the imp poked his head out and pulling the line with one hand, with the other you quickly grabbed the crossbow and shot an arrow between its eyes.

Breathing fast, the poor fish wriggled on the rock surface as you waited for more daemons to appear, rigid against the rock, crossbow in hand.

Nothing else came.

The fish stopped moving.

Calming your breathing, you waited a little longer. Nothing.

Linking the catch of the day, you grabbed your things and quickly got off the rock after making sure there was nothing else nearby. A couple of mindflayers could be seen in the distance but far enough away not to notice you, so the same way you came, you crawled to your lair.

With a sigh of relief, you reached the top of the haven where you left your weapons and fish next to the fire. Just peeking through the opening of the tent, you saw your guest still there, so you sat by the fire and after gutting and peeling the fish, you impaled them and placed them near the fire for its cooking. It had to be done immediately or they would spoil, there was no way to preserve anything.

You took a breath while they roasted, just looking at the fire. The dancing flames hypnotized you and the light they emitted made you forget about the darkness around you for a moment. But the skin of the fish was beginning to burn so you turned them over.

Suddenly, the fabric that served as the door to the tent shifted and the tall silver-haired man stepped out of it, slowly, ducking to pass.

His confused eyes immediately went to the fire and then to you. Staring, he didn’t advance beyond the tent while you, surprised and at the same time relieved to see him "alive" held his gaze in shock until you realized that you should not attempt any sudden movement.

Averting your gaze to the fish, trying to look carefree but screaming on the inside, you continued with your task while the man remained motionless. “Hope you’re hungry.” The roasted fish were ready. Just in time.

Within your field of vision, the man finally took a step only to stand still again. You looked up at him to realize that he was watching the sky intently. His frown and his visibly set jaw gave account of the state he was in.

“There’s no sunlight,” you dared to speak, trying to help clear his confusion while you remained seated on the rock. “There hasn't been since ... I don't know for sure. A couple of years, I think.”

A brief glance at you and then at the surroundings was his reply. The fist of his flesh hand was tightly clenched, while the other arm seemed to barely move. His uneasy gaze slowly swept the dark landscape as his chest heaved heavily with each breath. You couldn't do more than give him time.

“If you’re going to leave, you better wait until you’re stronger,” you really wanted to give him space, but the very idea of talking to someone else again was making the words flow out of your mouth. “It's infested with daemons out there.”

Another brief look at you and his eyes went to the food. You smirked and uncrossed your legs, taking one of the sticks with the fish and sitting a little further back. “Go ahead,” you motioned for him to take one and then you began to eat. “Oh, here,” you took the canteen with water and crawling like a baby, you placed it on his side, returning to yours to continue with your dinner, or lunch, or whatever, waiting for the reaction of the man.

After a long moment of hesitation, he seemed to give up and sat across from you, slowly crossing his legs. With his right hand he took the canteen and with effort, managed to work the prosthetic hand to grasp it and be able to unscrew the cap. He took a small sip that then turned into a big one and looked at you questioningly, almost with remorse.

“It’s okay,” you said, waving hand. “There’s more in the tent.” He seemed to consider it and then in a large gulp, he nearly finished the liquid. 

Setting the container aside, he slowly stretched to take one of the sticks and after a brief glance at the fish, began to eat it. When you finished yours you got up to go for the other canteen that was inside the tent. His gaze followed you from the very first movement, like a cat about to sneak away. You moved slowly as if you had been traveling together forever, then took the container and sat back in your place again, keeping the distance between you with the campfire.

Shoulders stiff, the broad man continued to eat until the bones were clean. “You want more?” you asked him and a grimace you couldn’t understand was his response. Maybe he hadn't liked it but it was all there was. You were never a good cook. “You can have the other if you want. I’m fine.” You took a sip of water and then lay back, resting your elbows on the rock.

This time without a doubt, he took the other fish after another sip of water. You noticed that he had no water left so you got up and put your canteen next to him, then returned to your former position. Only the sparking of the firewood was heard with the occasional roar in the distance that seemed to startle him.

“You’ll get used to it,” you reassured him and he returned to his food.

A few moments passed in silence as he finished and when he did, he just put the sticks down, took another sip of water and sighed. His eyes then returned to the surroundings where the shadows were moving and his brows seemed to furrow even more. Narrowed eyes scanning the landscape, pursed lips wondering. 

“We are somewhere near Fodina Caestino, I guess,” you tried to give an answer to his possible thoughts. “I’m trying to get to Lestallum.”

Light eyes looked at you and the wrinkle on his forehead seemed to smooth out a bit. Then he looked at his left arm that he took with his other hand and with effort, moved the prosthetic fingers.

You sat up, crossing your legs and rested your elbows on your knees. “That seems broken,” you said but he didn’t move. “Maybe there’s someone there who can help you fix that,” now curious but cautious eyes turned to you and you knew you caught his attention. “You can come with me if you want.”

He seemed to consider the offering for a moment without taking his eyes off of you which made you feel a bit intimidated. He sure had an imposing figure despite the circumstances and the conditions you found him in. His eyes went back to the fire and he closed them for a second just to open them again to look at the rock.

You felt the need to tell him everything that had happened but that might be a little bit too much for him right now. You didn’t even know what he was thinking, this man didn’t seem to want to talk, and you were really tired to make a serious effort right now.

“Listen,” you sighed, biting at the inside of your cheek as his eyes locked on yours. “You must have a lot of questions but I don’t even know what the hell happened. I just found you in that…,'' you gestured the shape of a horn at the left side of your head, "form and with some luck, I managed to bring you here but I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” you got up heavily from your spot to go to the tent. “If you want to come with me, I’d be more than happy but if you don’t…,” you stood up by his side and sighed, almost not wanting to say it, “there’s a sword in the tent you can take with you, okay?” 

Now you noticed that his eyes were a different color. You never saw that in newspaper photos or on the internet. They blinked once and then went to the glowing rock, so you sighed and walked towards the entrance of the tent. "Good night, I guess," but he didn't even turn to you. 

Adjusting your nest, you tucked yourself into the blanket and thought how you were going to sleep with a complete stranger outside your tent. Yes, he was not in quite good condition but you could see that he could kill you if he wanted to. Maybe you shouldn't have mentioned the sword. 

Squeezing your eyes a little, you decided to let yourself go as you had been doing for a long time. If your destiny was to die here today, then so be it. 

What was the point of living in such a world anyway…

<>

  
  


“Hm?” 

Narrowing eyes heavy with sleep, you woke up to see that you were alone in the tent. You didn’t know for how long you’ve been asleep but there were no signs that the sleeping bag had been used, not a single noise outside…

...And the sword wasn’t there.

What a surprise.

Dropping back onto the ground again, you covered your eyes with your arms and took a deep breath. Well, what did you expect? Although, at least a word of thanks would have been kind.

Sitting up with a grunt and then kneeling to stand, you left the tent, opening the entrance fabric with a slap. 

Oh.

The man was sitting on the edge of the rock and turned to your sudden movement. Sword at his side, after a flash look at you, he returned his eyes to the dark horizon.

“Did you…,” you hesitated. “Did you stay here the whole time?”

Another brief turn of his head and you understood. You were getting good at his sign language. You would prefer a word but the company was valuable, whether he wanted to speak or not.

Walking to stand next to him, you saw that he was looking at his new clothes, touching the fabric with curiosity. Or disgust, you weren’t sure. It wasn’t his style for sure.

“Those are from my old partner,” you clarified and directed your gaze to the dark land. “I hope you don’t have the same luck.” 

The path was clear, there was no sign of a single daemon and the meager light that passed through the thick miasma-covered clouds was more than enough to advance. “We should go now if we want to keep going and avoid the creatures,” you peered down at him, knowing that he still was not in top condition. “We may not get another chance like this.”

He stared at the landscape for a few seconds and stood up, taking the sword with his flesh hand as he did so. But you still weren’t sure.

“You sure you can fight?” An irritated sigh and a sideways glance was his answer as he passed by you. How rude. “As you wish,” you said, raising your right brow in defeat as you turned to walk behind him.

Without another word from you, he went into the tent and took out the big backpack with the rest of the things while you began to dismantle it. In no time, you were rolling it up and accommodating it at the base of the large bag while he put out the fire and gathered your other belongings from the floor.

With the backpack ready, you took it to put it on your back when a strong tug pulled it from your hands. “Wha-,” the tall man was already putting it on, passing with difficulty his left arm through the straps and before you could thank him for taking the load off you, he was already walking down the rock. “Hey, you’re going alone?” you put your crossed bag on and walked fast to catch up with him, if at any time you could match his strides.

Coming down from the rock, the walk passed in silence. He was always attentive to the surroundings with your sword in hand just like you with the crossbow. From time to time you glanced at him to see a frowning face with strong features that seemed to be accentuated by the greenish darkness. Not a word yet. His hand gripped the handle of the sword tightly and his chest heaved with each breath. Even though he didn’t make sudden movements, you could see that he was startled by every little sound.

The greenish tinge all around was honestly nauseating, as if everything on Eos had rotted away. The miasma particles rising to the sky from all sides looked like giant specks of grime. Whenever you saw them, you couldn't help but think that with them were escaping the souls of all those poor creatures from which you were fleeing now. How is it that this man seemed to have kept his?

Already used to the noises of the eternal night, you were too distracted when the man suddenly turned and repelled the attack of a glamhoth with the sword. Jumping back, you armed the crossbow and aimed at the head but missed, the glamhoth pounced on him who threw it into the air with a push of his long leg, then giving a final thrust that ended the miserable life of that thing in the blink of an eye.

Regaining your composure, impressed by the skill of your new partner, you lowered the crossbow and went to his side. He was panting and wide-eyed scrutinizing all around like a mad man, sword on guard.

“So you haven't forgotten how to fight,” you said standing next to him. The man seemed to come out of his berserk, then frowned in realization. “Yes,” you half-smiled at him, “I know who you are. You are a prince, remember?” Turning, you started walking again to continue on your way after having overcome the impasse.

“Was,” the man replied behind you with a deep and raspy voice.

You turned around, not sure if you were surprised because he spoke or by his response. “Right,” but it didn’t matter, now you were talking to another human being and that made you smile even though he was the personification of a stone. “Then I guess it’s cool if I call you Ravus.”

He didn’t answer and you didn’t wait for a response. You just kept walking, looking at the big, black, dirty circles floating up to the sky. The greenish light showing the way. 

What a twisted way to feel happy. 

<>

  
  


“ _ Cartanica _ ”

No sign has ever made you so happy as this one. After following the train tracks for almost a day, in a comfortable silence with your partner, you arrived at the large Cartanica station where the rusting trains were surely a good refuge for daemons, but also an opportunity to find food and perhaps sleep on something other than the ground. 

For some unknown reason, as you progressed along the path, you encountered fewer and fewer daemons. Or maybe it was just luck. The fact was that through scrutinizing the place there were no signs of anything. Or anyone, as expected.

“Come here,” you said to Ravus who walked along your side the entire time, carrying the backpack. One of the trains looked more or less intact and that was promising. “This must have a dining car.”

The two of you entered the train, weapons in hand, and began to move slowly through the carriages, holding onto the chairs side by side so as not to trip. The silence inside was deafening, not like outside where you could hear the slight wind moving the dry leaves or the unmistakable sounds of all the night creatures that you had learned to know. 

There was nothing here.

“Be aware,” you warned him anyway. It was a small space and getting attacked here could be troublesome. You couldn't let down your guard.

Cautiously, you opened the door of the first car to find one exactly like the one before it. Chairs to side and side, nothing more. Moving slowly, you reached the next one where there were also chairs but much larger and with more space.

“Hm, how lucky,” you smiled, touching one of the overstuffed seats. “The world had to end so I could travel first class.” Ravus following you behind didn’t make a noise, so you turned to him with an ironic grin. “I bet you miss this.” A frown in your direction was your answer but you just smiled and kept moving forward.

And behind the next door, there it was. The little bar in the middle of the car with some chairs and tables around it. You went straight behind the wooden structure to loot everything you could find. Some jars here, some cans there, it didn't really matter much what they contained as long as it was edible. Even a couple of bottles of vodka, one of which you noticed was in Ravus' hand while he was staring at it.

“I don't think it's a good place to get drunk,” you sat in one of the barstools, opening a jar of canned fruits. “But you can save it for later when we are in Lestallum.”

He frowned at you  _ again  _ and left the bottle on the counter where he found it. What a killjoy. “There is nothing useful here.” 

“I can put that to good use,” you pointed at the bottle while you took a bite of one of the peaches from the jar. Ravus sighed and turned around. Clearly, all that time he spent _ in transformation  _ didn’t serve to appease his famous bad temper. “Hey!” you gasped at the sight of something that actually filled the definition of useful inside an open drawer. “Yes!” Jumping off the stool, you grabbed your loot. At least six thick neon bars, the kind that activate when broken and that were used for emergencies, looking at them as if they were the most precious treasure. “Alright,” you chuckled, satisfied. “Let’s go back to the fancy car. Now we can have some rest.”

After putting what you’ve found in the backpack, both of you returned to the previous car. You flopped into one of the large chairs, letting out a noise of comfort while Ravus carefully set the backpack down and sat on the one next to it. You had no idea how long it had been since your butt touched something this soft.

Breaking one of the sticks, that gave a nice orange color for a change, you threw it to the ground and marveled at how it lit up the entire car inside.

“Now what?” He asked after a long silence when you were enjoying the feeling of lying on something comfortable.

“Now we sleep,” you answered with your eyes closed.

You could feel his doubt before he spoke again. “Would this light be enough?”

“Yeah,” shifting more comfortably in your chair, you reclined it. “With permanent darkness, daemons have become more sensitive to any kind of light. We'll be fine for a while.”

You were sure he tried to hum but only a sigh came out. “I meant, what are we going to do after we leave this place?” he asked slowly. 

“Hm?” you murmured already dozing off, shifting your position to scare away the sleep. “Um, the last station where the ferries arrived from Altissia is not so far away. I hope to find a boat or something. If not,” you closed your eyes again, “I guess we’re going to die here.”

Silence took the car once more while fatigue was conquering you. It was risky, there were no luminous symbols here to protect you but with the neon light it would be enough and you just couldn't keep your eyes open.

But then his voice woke you up. “Where...did you find me?” he asked hesitantly.

Tricky question because you didn’t even know where you’ve been by that time. “Somewhere near Eusciello, I think.”

You perceived his oranged features hardening as he turned his gaze to the window. Another moment of silence for him to break with a question once more. “What were you doing there?”

That you could answer. “We were sent to look for Shiva’s corpse.”

His eyes returned to you with what you could feel was curiousness. “Why?”

“We were locating royal tombs,” shifting in the reclined chair, you lay on your side to face him. “With the group we came, we found one in Fodina Caestino and there were rumors that there was another near her. The other two returned to Lucis when the days became shorter but me and my partner went on its search.”

“Did you find it?”

“No. We found the corpse but nothing else,” you returned to your former position. “Then the daylight never returned and we got trapped in that place with a bunch of daemons around. An ariadne killed him while we were trying to reach some village and from then on I roamed around alone, scavenging the small towns on the road… In one of them I heard the radio transmission calling survivors to go to Lestallum. I followed the train tracks since then to go back… and then I found you.”

He seemed to take a moment to process your information which you take to do the same with the memories it evoked. But there was something you couldn't stop wondering. “Do you… Do you remember… anything?” He looked at you in the middle of the glowing light without answering. “You know, from when you were… that thing?”

Your clarification didn’t seem to work on his understanding. “What thing?”

Oh. 

“So you don’t…,” maybe it was better that way. “Never mind.”

Silence again and then a sigh from him could be heard. “I only remember to be in anger… and pain.” His voice was quiet as his eyes drifted to the dark bottom of the car. “I only wanted to find…”

He paused in his phrase but you ended it for him. “Ardyn.”

His face turned to you in question and you did the same, shrugging. “I heard you cursing his name several times while you were unconscious, so I suppose he’s the man of your dreams.” His eyes remained on you for some beats to move then to the window without a word. “Who is this Ardyn?”

His face contorted in strange patterns with the shadows coming from outside. “The one responsible for all this.”

...Okay. So there was someone to blame. That was new.

“Do you know where he is?”

“No,” his eyes glowed in the orange dim light, looking at his reflection in the dusty window. “But with the current situation, I might have a clue.”

Lifting up your head a bit with narrowed eyes, you asked. “Where?”

“Insomnia.”

“Ha!” a somehow involuntary sound that erupted from you as you lay on your chair again. “Another good reason to return to Lucis then.” There were no more words from him and you just decided to leave it that way for now. There will be more time for more questions. “Just…,” closing your eyes, “have some rest, okay?”

“You sleep. I will watch.”

“Just a couple of hours, then I’ll watch. You need to sleep, too.”

You thought he had agreed because some beats passed before his quiet reply. “I cannot sleep.”

Opening your eyes again, you turned your face to look at him. “I can help you with that if you want.” He narrowed his eyes, looking at you askance. Men. Then you rolled yours. “I have potions.”

“I’m fine,” he said after relaxing his frown, noticing your sincere intentions. 

“As you wish,” you replied and giving a final sigh, the sleep finally beat you. 

You didn't know how much time passed but you were almost waking up again when a loud bang shook the car. Opening your eyes suddenly, you saw Ravus standing in front of the door, sword in hand. “The hell is that?” you asked, getting up from your chair and grabbing your crossbow.

“I don’t know,” he answered quietly. “I cannot see anything.”

You rushed to one of the windows and after shaking off the dirt a bit, you tried to look outside but there was nothing, only the darkness slightly interrupted by the orange glow that was already beginning to fade. Attentive to the silence that reigned over the wagon, the two of you stood in the corridor, breathing fast, alert. You were about to grab another one of the neon sticks when a loud bang sank the roof of the car.

“Shit!” you took the backpack and threw it on your shoulder. “We gotta get out of here!” and began to run to the door to the next car, Ravus behind you. The heavy blows continued to sink the ceiling and walls of that car and the next. 

Closer and closer, you both ran until you reached the end of the train. Opening the last door, Ravus barely managed to close it before a galvanade lunged at it, coming from a broken metal wall. A loud thud was heard against it and then another. Quickly, you took another one of the bars and broke it, gripping it tightly in your hand. 

One last thud and silence came again.

You both stared at the door. You with your outstretched arm holding the neon light, him with the sword held high. 

Nothing else came.

Sighing in relief, you lowered the light and turned around, illuminating the small room you found yourself in. Some control boards, levers, a steering wheel. “Great…,” the locomotive. “I guess you don't know how to drive one of these,” you said turning to Ravus, who almost ignored you to look at the console.

You walked over to one of the boards and studied it. Who could know how to drive a train? But how difficult could it be ... if it still worked. Not knowing what you were doing and sure that the old device wasn't working, you started pushing buttons here and there.

“What are you supposed to be doing?” an irritated Ravus asked.

“Trying to figure out how to start this,” you shrugged and kept pressing buttons. “We can’t get out of here by foot.”

“I doubt you will achieve it that way.”

“Meh!” you gave up and moved the last lever without anything happening. “This old can doesn't work anyway,” and you kicked the metal panel under it. Immediately, a great roar sounded under your feet and the control panel turned on as the entire cabin vibrated. “Oh-oh.”

The vibration increased and suddenly you felt the movement of the engine pushing the car forward. Then you realized that you had pulled the lever to the front.

“What did you do!?” Ravus asked grumpily, grabbing tightly to one of the panels while the car continued moving.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his face and your achievement. “Getting us out of here!”

“We are indeed going to die in this place,” he murmured as he came to your side in front of the console, holding onto what he could. The train advanced without stopping while the intense lights illuminated the tracks. Side by side, you saw how some daemons retreated before the glare and for the first time in a long time, you felt a wave of optimism.

Some minutes passed and you could see the close station in the distance. “And I suppose you also know how to stop the train,” Ravus addressed you.

“Ummm.” 

The blazing headlights abruptly illuminated what looked like a barricade, a line of trains stacked one behind the other. You looked at the lever without knowing what to do and just pulled it back and in a flash, as with a push, the force of the braking sent you both forward, throwing you on the board. But the train ahead was getting closer and closer, and the speed was still very high. Astrals... maybe you were going to die here after all.

A strong hand clasped your arm and from one moment to the next you saw yourself crouching with Ravus behind the console, feeling how the locomotive seemed like it was never going to stop. As you covered your head with your hands, the locomotive braked harder but not hard enough to avoid the harsh impact that followed with the popping of glass and the sound of metal bending. If that hand had not pulled you off the board, surely now you would be atoning for your sins in the beyond.

“Are we…,” you took your hands off of your head, nervously looking up when everything went silent and the engine stopped completely. “Did we make it?”

“Barely,” Ravus replied, stretching his good arm for support to get up. 

Resting one hand on the ground, you shakily got up to observe the mess. The front glass had smashed against the rear of the other train and all the pieces were scattered on the board. “Okay, maybe now it doesn't work,” and a glare of  _ really?  _ from Ravus was all you needed to shut up.

"I believe it is safe to go out now," he said, looking out the smashed window. And you agreed, there was no point in staying here anyway. 

The station looked like a train graveyard. You took the neon stick that was still glowing on the floor and lit the way for the two of you as you left the small room. Only metal oxidized by the salt of the breeze that came from the sea that could be heard a few meters away. You'd done it. Now only the ocean and a few miles of land separated you from your destination.

"We have to look for a boat," you pointed to the harbour that could be seen not far away. Some yachts, a couple of ferries, and several rafts were still docked along it.

"And do you know how to drive a boat as well as trains?" Ravus turned to look at you with narrowed eyes that you imitated in response. "I will drive this time." 

"And do  _ you  _ know how to do it?" you spoke as he began to walk ahead of you, heading to the dock. 

With long strides, he evaded the rails and the multiple obstacles made up of junk from the trains, stones and other things you couldn’t identify, while you battled to follow him without falling. "I had to learn to sail when I was in the army."

Right. More often than not you forgot who you were traveling with. Although it didn't matter much anymore.

"Okay, Captain. Let's find you a ship," you passed him while waving the neon bar in the air, jumping over the scrap. 

A few more steps and you were on the dock. The ocean was melting into the darkness of the sky and for the first time in days, you panicked.

You truly panicked.

What if you were stranded in the middle of the sea? And worst, what if you couldn't find any boats that still worked? Maybe you didn't think this through. 

No. You didn't think it through well, at all. 

This wasn't going to work.

"Is something the matter?" you heard Ravus snapping you out of your catastrophic thoughts, turning to look at you when he noticed you weren't following him. 

You realized that you'd been paralyzed, lost in the dark of the horizon. "No," you lied. "Let's start with that one."

Passing by him while you felt his gaze fixed on your neck, you went to the first boat in line. A yacht, not very big, enough for both of you. Crawling up on the deck and after entering the first door, you entered the small command room to exit again almost immediately. "Next. No fuel."

Ravus was already checking the engine of the next raft to repeat the same process as you. With the same results.

This was definitely not going to work.

The same happened with the next and the next one, until you ran into the first ferry. Much larger than the others and certainly more difficult to handle, but it had a great advantage over the others. This one did have fuel. A new wave of optimism got you. 

"I do not believe we will get it off the dock," Ravus almost immediately said when you entered the command room. The wave was gone. 

"Why not?" you almost felt like crying. 

"This one consumes a lot of fuel at startup. Is not sufficient." 

You leaned against the board. Great. "Then what do we do?" You sighed. 

"Keep looking," he said as he was already getting off of the ferry. You sighed once more and followed him. He was right, there was nothing else to do.

The following ships didn’t add any value. Out of fuel, useless, one almost sank when you got on and you almost had to jump to avoid being shipwrecked with it. The other ferry seemed to have been there much longer. As you approached, you could see that the hull was rusty and when you climbed up, you found out that there was not a drop of fuel left in the tank. This one had surely been here long before the light went out.

Only another motor raft and a small yacht remained. If there was nothing that would work between those two, it was certain that you could never leave here. Ever. 

"You check the yacht and I’ll check this one," you commanded him while you headed to the raft. The motor chain broke when you pulled it. Closing your eyes, you sighed and threw the useless metal strip into the sea. "Did you have any luck?" 

No answer came from the other boat and you had no choice but go to look for him. The neon green was getting dimmer and that didn't help your already nervous mood. 

After taking a look at the surroundings, you peeked through the cabin. "Did you find something?" 

Ravus didn’t speak but he finally answered. "This one has fuel." Yes! Thank the gods. "But I do not believe it to be enough to get to Lucis." 

Fuck. 

Fuck all this. 

Defeated, you sat on the deck and bending your legs, rested your face on your knees. "I'm sorry," you sighed.

He came out of the cabin and stood next to you. "What for?"

For bringing him back to the non-daemon world only to force him to die here. "I really thought I could make it… I'm sorry."

In the moment of silence in which he seemed to agree that there was no way out, you only heard the sea around you. It was a sound that you hadn't heard for a long time and that you didn't think you would miss so much. The movement of the waves rocking you towards your end. Now he was probably blaming you. Whatever he decided to do now, you wouldn't stop him. You deserved it.

"Are you giving up so soon?" He asked out of nowhere. 

You raised your head and looked at him. "What?" 

He sighed, you weren't sure if he was annoyed or relieved. Probably the former. "We only have to drag the fuel out from the ferry and fill this one."

You almost wanted to kiss him. But you would have died then. 

“Of course...” you let out a small laugh of relief. How come you didn't think of that? What would have happened to you if you had come here alone...

He blinked once and went out of the cabin. You jumped from the deck with a smile plastered on your face and followed him. “Take this,” he handed you a large plastic container with a hose on top that he found in the yacht and both made your way to the ferry. 

Entering the large ship, you headed for the keel where the tanks were. Taking the container from your hand, he placed it under a nozzle and operated a valve that began to release the liquid, filling the container. When he was halfway through, he closed it and covered it. 

“Is that enough?” you asked.

“No,” he handed you the backpack now and took the plastic thing in hand. “But if we fill it more we will not be able to carry it. We will come for more after filling the other one.”

“Okay,” you loaded your backpack and with the neon bar in hand, you escorted him to the other ship. He opened the lid of the tank that was on the side of the cover and with the hose he emptied the contents inside. You always hated the smell of fuel but this time it was the smell of freedom.

Without saying a word, he got off the boat and headed back to the ferry while you followed him. The neon light was already too dim.

“Where are we supposed to go?” he asked when entering the ferry.

You went downstairs and stood behind him as he refilled the container. “The broadcast said we could get to Cape Caem and from there we would be transported to Lestallum.”

He made a pause and continued. “Very well. This should be enough then,” he capped the plastic tank again and lifted it, then you both got off the ferry.

“Wait,” you said, putting the backpack aside to take out another neon bar. “Let me cra- Ah!”

A sharp blow threw you to the wood of the dock. A roar from something and then a grunt from Ravus drag you out from the pain in your arm. Staggering to your feet, you ran, grabbing the crossbow that had fallen to the side and already armed, you shot the wraith in the neck when it jumped back after a thrust from Ravus.

“Run!” he yelled when other creatures began to approach at full speed.

Taking the backpack with a jerk, you started running after him. “The fuel!” you halted.

“Leave it!” he commanded, reaching the yacht and jumping over the stern. A necromancer was too close. 

With another jump you followed him and almost dropped the backpack but managed to catch it before it fell into the water. “We won’t make it!” you exclaimed as he started the engine but without another word from him, the yacht started at full speed and you saw how the dock was being left behind with the wraith and the necromancer lamenting in frustration. “We won’t…” you mumbled to yourself.

“We will have to,” he spoke in a deep voice, grasping firmly at the wheel with the same flesh hand that skillfully saved you both just seconds ago. 

The water ran black from side to side, the sky always dark and you felt as if you were sailing into the nothing. 

The nothing.

And if you were stranded halfway. And if you never found land. And if the yacht failed, what if … Again what if… Your breathing became faster and you felt the air around not being enough to reach your lungs. Your heart was beating in your throat. Your head was giant.

“We will make it,” Ravus turned to look at you with a concerned look, “just probably not until Caem.” Without letting go of the wheel, with his prosthetic arm he managed to pull out another neon bar from the backpack and after quickly breaking it against his leg, he handed it over to you. “Look at the light and breathe.”

Of course, the trick of looking at some source of light when you felt consumed by the darkness. Apparently, he learned that in these days of journey and it certainly helped you slow down your breathing and your heart.

“We just have to go east,” he peered down at you, snuggled to the side of the cabin almost behind him. His voice was almost reassuring and it surprised you somehow. 

Okay. East. 

Just look at the light and breathe.

  
  



	3. "So, what are you doing with the rest of your life?"

The trip was short but it felt like eternity and it passed in silence. Eventually, you looked at Ravus who was always grasping the wheel with eyes fixed on the horizon. Or whatever in the distance because there was nothing to see ahead. The fingers of his metal hand hanging at his side moving awkwardly, like trying to clench it but never succeeding.

After a while, you left the neon bar on the floor when you regained your calm. Leaning to one side, holding onto some metal structure with both hands, you tried to see into the distance but only saw the same thing as in the last hundreds of days.

"I suppose crashing into a rock would be a good sign," you said.

A pause and a sigh from him. “We will not.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Fuel is running out. We must slow down.”

That was much worse. You didn’t know what caused you more concern, if the fact that the fuel was running out and there were no signs of land nearby or the naturalness of his voice tone saying that. As if you could just jump in and swim.

Swim. 

Surely he couldn't swim with that arm. 

Gods.

Suddenly he seemed to lean over the wheel and stretch his neck. “There it is,” he said with something near to excitement.

You almost jumped over the railing to see what he was seeing. And he was right.  _ There it was _ . A small, bright, red dot high up. “Oh, my gods… Is that…?”

“The Ravatough.”

A scream drowned in your throat and you felt like crying as you put a hand to your mouth. You always believed that you would make it but at the same time you never believed that you would. But there it was. The red dot that was getting bigger and bigger and brighter. It didn't matter if it wasn't Cape Caem, you were in Lucis. You were finally back.

You were back.

And near the Ravatough there was someone who could help you.

_ We did it, my friend,  _ you thought and a tear ran down your face. 

The portion of land that was illuminated by the ancient volcano was getting closer and closer and the darkness around you seemed to disappear for a moment.  _ Thank you for sending me a new partner.  _ You smiled and looked at Ravus who was not smiling at all. His brows furrowed more, his jaw clenched and his lips tightened in a strong scowl.

Whatever he was thinking to do it would take place here. Apparently, he was back, too. 

The engine began to sound erratic and the yacht slowed down until it came to a complete stop. Some rocks were a few feet ahead where the longed-for land began, but there was certainly a good stretch of water. Waving in it, the two of you fell silent just staring at the great, red giant that was the only thing competing with the old greenish color of the sky.

“We will have to get down here,” Ravus finally said.

“But you… can’t swim,” you dared to point out. 

Turning around and taking the backpack in one hand, he slung it on his back and got ready to jump. “It is unlikely to be deep here.”

“Unlikely? Wha-!” He was already jumping and the splash made the whole ship rock harder. “Shit!” you peeked over the side to see a Ravus sunk to the torso. “Are you crazy!? I can’t save you from drowning.”

“I trusted you had a potion for that purpose. Now, are you coming or not?” he started wading forward.

“Don't wet my bag!” you jumped from the yacht, holding your crossed one. The air almost left your lungs at the contact with the water, “Fuck! It's cold!” you tried to swim to catch up to him, unable to touch the bottom with your feet like him.

“Move or you will freeze,” he spoke some feet ahead, using his flesh hand to gain momentum against the cold sea. 

A few meters and you managed to reach the bottom, then wading like him, faster and faster, feeling your legs go numb with each step. “We-,” the intense cold almost preventing you from speaking despite the strong movements you were making. “We have to- make a fire- in- the beach.”

“Yes,” was all he answered, either because he was also freezing or because there was simply no more to say.

A few more steps, the water just reaching your ankles and the shore was finally there. Shivering from your teeth to toes, soaked, the cold air hit your skin covered by wet clothing like a one hundred needles. “We- should have brought- that vodka with us.”

Ravus was not far away from freezing along with you as you could notice for his almost blue skin color because he couldn’t be any more white, but his eyes were only scrutinizing the surroundings despite his shivering as he walked. “We cannot stay here.”

Looking around while you followed him, rubbing your arms, the slight red tint coming from the volcano let you see the nothingness of the land. Dark sand, dry trees, high rocks. The smell of sulfur and salt. Surely not a paradise. “I don't think- there are many daemons- here-, the light from the volcano- should keep them- somewhat away.”

“We have just arrived. I will not take any risk,” he kept moving forward. And you had to give him that point. All this journey couldn’t end for the simple need to not have wet clothes and be warm. You couldn't always travel comfortably. “We will get warm as we walk.”

Sighing and trying to warm your hands with your breath, you followed him a bit reluctantly. Not even the heat from the volcano seemed to be able to warm the atmosphere but the idea to see her again, to finally see your old friend and mentor again, was all the fuel you needed to keep your feet moving a few more miles.

The soil in the lands around the Ravatough was not exactly the most stable. Several times you slipped on the fine dust that covered the surface, but with each step you certainly warmed up and at least you could speak and breathe normally now. “This way,” you said excitedly, recognizing the path along the bushes. Turning around and looking at the volcano, you recognized the sight that you saw daily for many days long ago.

Ravus paused ahead and turned to look at you with knitted brows. “Where are we going?”

You smiled and passed him by. “To see my friend, Kimya.”

<>

The Malmalam thicket should be somewhere at your left, that intricate forest that only a few dared to cross. You couldn’t believe that you were traveling these roads again and less under these circumstances.

“Who is this Kimya?” Ravus asked by your side.

“A witch,” you joked. But that was the moniker she earned, and adopted after some time.

“I do not believe in witches,” he replied with utmost seriousness. 

You chuckled at the statement. “Well, you should,” your clothes were not what you would say dry but the uncomfortable sensation was gone. “I could help you with one of her potions.”

He looked at you askance. “What kind of potions does she brew?”

“Hm,” you looked ahead on the road. “The kind of potions that take you away from your family, I guess.”

Without replying, he looked at you intrigued, so you continued after a smile of satisfaction for having piqued his curiosity.

“She began making healing potions for the hunters when she was with her sister, Ezma, at the Meldacio HQ. But she discovered a method to brew potions to fight the daemons and to enhance the power of the Oracle's enchantments. Her sister didn’t like it because she thought it was dangerous, so she basically told her that if she was going to continue doing that, she should be alone and far away where she couldn’t hurt anyone. So she was exiled to this forest.”

Ravus halted on his steps and you had to turn to him. “...To enhance the Oracle´s enchantments?”

“Yes. The figures at the havens, mostly. That’s what I used to repel the daemons a little more when you were healing.”

He fell silent and seemed to be digesting the information you gave him. The mention of the Oracle should have been shocking for him for sure. After all, everyone on Eos knew what had happened to his sister, you were no exception. “How…?”

You shrugged. Even though you had studied with her, there were still many things you didn’t understand. “I don’t know exactly but she found the way. Not only to do that but to ‘purify’ daemons.” You smiled to yourself at the memory that came to you. “She always said that ‘only one true path, there is not’”

He looked at you with a brow raised.

Another shrug of yours. “She speaks weird.”

He resumed walking and you did it too beside him. He was still alert but looking at the ground thoughtfully. “What do you mean with ‘purify’ daemons?”

“She believed that daemons didn't disappear until they were purified from the scourge, which is why the same daemons appeared almost always in the same areas.”

“But we killed them with our weapons.”

“Yes,” you said with a not so convinced expression. “That keeps them at bay for some time. But if you look closely, the same ones appear over and over again.”

He didn’t seem satisfied with your reasoning. “How do we know that they are the same ones and not more from the same kind?”

“It’s all in the details.” The path with the signs appeared before you and you knew you were close. “One time, I saw this blue flan that had a big yellow patch around his left eye. I’m pretty sure I hit it in the head and it vanished. I spent some days around the same village, helping some people collect the few vegetables we found around and then, near the same spot when I found it the first time, it attacked us again. The same yellow patch that I didn’t see in any other blue flan before or after that one. Then I knew she was right.”

You walked some steps in silence until you came across one of the signs that surrounded the road.  _ No hunters allowed _ .

“How do you know her?” He asked after reading the sign in the dim red light.

“I got hurt badly in a hunt nearby. She helped me because, like she said, ‘it was a matter of life and death’, and I became curious about her methods. I knew Ezma wouldn’t let me return to Meldacio if she found it out, so I learned everything I could without telling anyone.” And there it was, the old, little wooden cabin surrounded by its barricade made of stones. You couldn’t help but smile. “And I kept visiting her here from time to time until they sent me to Ghorova’s rift.”

You both stopped at the entrance. The old parasol was still standing but the house was dark with no signs of movement.

“Are you sure she's still here?” Ravus made the question you didn’t want to make yourself.

Sighing, you took a step forward. She was tough and smart but the world had become a hostile and dangerous place, and more for an old woman. “I guess we’ll find that out soon.”

You knocked on the door but, as expected, there was no response. You knocked again and called her name. Only the silence and the distant crackle of lava that you hadn’t been able to hear before. After a bit anguished look at Ravus who was watching you intently, you took the knob and opened the door. She never bothered to close it because she knew that no one dared roam these forests. “... Kimya?” you called shyly.

Ravus closed the door behind you when you both entered. The scant red glow from the single window illuminated the old wooden table where she used to work, the large armchair now almost unfilled, and the old cot in the corner with that woven blanket. She was not here. She hadn't been here in some time. 

Sadness invaded you. 

Setting the backpack on the ground, Ravus took one of the last neon bars and cracked it against his leg. The green glow now gave you a clearer view of the empty place. There was nothing, just the furniture. Her instruments, her ingredients, her books, all gone.

“She moved,” realization hit you and a wave of relief took the place of the pain in your chest. “She took everything with her.”

“Couldn't someone have come in to thieve?” Ravus reasoned, looking around without moving from his place.

A cheeky smile took your face and you went to stroke the old, marked wood of the table. “No one dared to come here before, least of all now.” How many memories came to you in this simple place, sitting in the wooden chair beside it. “We should rest here for a while.”

He hummed and looked through the window, then went to lock the door which made you chuckle slightly. “You take the cot.”

“No,” you answered without taking your hands and eyes off of the table. “You haven’t slept. You take it and I’ll watch.” 

He hesitated for a moment but then with slow steps, he made his way to the cot and sat up, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the floor. Both exhausted, maybe also surprised to have come this far, stayed in silence for some minutes. Until he dared to speak again. “Perhaps that was why you could find me.”

Embedded in your own thoughts, the question pulled you out of your musings to look at him. “What?”

Without answering, he lay back on the blanket and sighed deeply. You looked at him for some moments without understanding but then removing the thought from your mind, you got up and sat on the armchair, certainly more comfortable than the wooden chair. Because of the still damp clothes and the sudden inactivity, the cold began to take possession of you again, so you took the blanket that was hanging on the back of the chair and wrapped yourself in it. It smelled old, dirty, and the sting of magic still perfumed it as everything around the small house. 

But it made you feel with her again and safe in a place where you spent the most painful, but interesting and rewarding days of your life until now. The feeling that you had found something useful. She gave you a purpose beyond kill and trying not to be killed.

You realized that she had kept you alive all this time.

And hoped to see her soon.

<>

  
  


A gunshot!

Without realizing it, you’d fallen asleep on the armchair and were suddenly awakened by the sound of a shot very close. Ravus also jumped up from the bed and the two looked at each other, the neon light still glowing just a little dimmer.

Silence.

The two of you were breathing hard but trying to listen beyond what you could hear. Did you imagine it? Maybe it had been the loud sound of something else, sleep could have tricked you.

Again!

Okay, this definitely was a gunshot and it sounded even closer!

You both jumped up from your spots. Ravus quickly took the backpack, you grabbed the neon bar and both shot in the direction of the sound. It was no longer just gunshots, it was also a roar. Men could be heard grunting.

In the distance, you saw two men fighting an arachne, one with an axe and the other with a spear. The arachne was skilled and dodged with some ease until another shot was heard and hit it in one leg. Following the origin of the sound, you saw a blond man with a long rifle pointed at the creature while the other two men attacked it closely.

Ravus, who already had the sword in hand, dropped the backpack and launched himself at the daemon with a great leap. The arachne didn’t have time to dodge the thrust he landed in its lumpy abdomen as the man with the axe drove it into the other front leg. A sharp roar of pain left the creature but was immediately silenced by another shot that struck it in the forehead. The daemon fell and began to fade away into a dark mist, the miasma rising to join the already dense layer that remained obscuring the sun in the sky.

The man with the axe thanked Ravus who gave him a nod in response. The other did the same. But the blond man approached with slow steps, widening two blue eyes as if he were seeing a ghost.

“What the…?” was all he said when he joined the other men in front of Ravus.

The silver-haired sighed and looked him in the eye. “Argentum.”

<>

  
  


Sitting in the back of the mini truck, you, Ravus and Argentum  _ — _ as you knew him so far _ — _ , were transported along with the other two hunters to Lestallum. The blond guy still seemed not to believe his eyes and Ravus seemed to start to get annoyed.

“Are the others with you there?” Ravus asked in an attempt to deviate the attention away from himself.

“Nah,” the younger man looked at the floor for a second for the first time since the car started. “Well, sometimes. Gladio is hunting most of the time and Iggy… He comes and goes.”

“The Ring of the Lucii did not take his sight away?”

The only thing you could do now was listening. You had no idea what they were talking about but this was interesting.

“Uh, yeah,” the blond sighed. “But he has, you know, adapted. He does pretty much everything by himself now.”

Ravus hummed and the silence took place again. But not for too long. Unlike Ravus, Argentum certainly didn’t like the silence at all. “I-I’m Prompto, by the way,” he extended a hand toward you with a smile. “Sorry I didn’t tell you my name.”

“It’s fine,” you shook his hand and said your name to him. “Nice to meet you.”

“So,” he continued speaking in front of you. The mini truck kept going its way through the dark road only illuminated by the halogen lights at its front and on top of it preventing daemons from getting closer. “How do you know each other?”

Ravus sighed at your side without looking at him and that brought a smile to your face. “I was looking for a traveling partner and he needed a ride.”

Prompto chuckled and Ravus turned to look at you. “Why don’t you tell him the truth?”

“You’re right,” you looked at the blond. “We’re dating.”

“What?” Prompto was surprised, you laughed and Ravus glared at you. 

The rest of the way was spent telling Prompto how you found Ravus, how you healed him, how you crossed half a continent, fought, and found your way back here together. The young man's occasional reactions and questions were enough to keep you amused while Ravus's very occasional intervention made you laugh by correcting your false or exaggerated details. Then Prompto told you his adventures hunting and helping the refugees from everywhere, how they were trying to restore the electricity in some areas and coming up with new methods to cultivate without sunlight. The current situation wasn’t easy but apparently everyone was trying to do their part. That talk was enough to distract you from the daemons lurking on the side and side of the road, between the destroyed houses and the desolated land.

Without realizing it, just about two hours had passed when in front of you the blue glow of the busy Lestallum appeared.

Light. Actual light. Your eyes almost burned to see it and you had to rub them every now and then. 

“Here we are,” Prompto said as the truck parked and you just couldn’t believe it. All the tension and worry left your body and you felt like you could fall asleep right there on the ground if they let you. You made it, you both finally made it. “Come,” he jumped to the ground, ”we’ll find a bed for you. I-I mean, for each one of you.”

“Thanks,” you chuckled as you got down the mini truck and Ravus only glared at him before he took the backpack.

The city was certainly full. All available space had been accommodated to welcome those who arrived. The bars, the shops, almost all the buildings were simply occupied by beds, sleeping bags or whatever happened to be in their place.

While walking up the stairs to the center of the city next to Prompto, you ran into a couple of old comrades. Hugs and surprised looks were exchanged when they told you they thought you were dead and then turned into sad faces when they knew that one of you actually was. Promising to return with them in a while, you met again with your two companions who had already arrived at the center. Glaives and hunters around a table were discussing some plan, to your left a tent with supplies and to your right none other than the former chief of Hammerhead working on some weapons.

“Hey!” you called Ravus, pointing at the spot where the man was. “Maybe he can fix your arm!”

“Holy shit…,” a hoarse voice spoke behind you that made you turn to find a long haired giant. “What the fuck?”

“Gladio!” Prompto jumped to his side but the big guy didn’t take his eyes off of Ravus who equally stared at him. “Um…”

“Amicitia,” Ravus nodded with tired eyes.

“What... the hell is going on here?” the huge man asked, taking a step toward Ravus as if to see him better. This was getting strange. “I’m sure we…”

“You killed me?” 

“You what?” you asked with wide eyes and the big man finally paid attention to you.

Ravus turned to look at you with a serious expression. “It seems like your master Kimya was correct. Daemons do not disappear by solely killing them.”

So they… He… Damn. The three men stayed silent and you just looked somewhere else trying to figure out the answers to all the questions that erupted in your head. But there in a corner, giving some bottle to a hunter, there she was.

“Kimya!” your voice got caught and forgetting about everything else, you ran to her. Her eyes lit up and for a moment, she didn’t seem to believe what she was seeing until she extended her hands that you took in yours when you were in front of her, laughing and on the verge of tears.

“My child,” she stroked your cheek and then put the hand over her mouth. “Dead, I thought you.”

A couple of tears made its way through your cheeks and a soft laugh left your lips. “I know. I know.” And you drag her into a soft but wholehearted embrace. “I survived thanks to you.”

“That you arrived, makes me glad,” you broke the embrace and she took your hands in hers. “Passed through a lot of things, you must have.” 

You smiled and sighed deeply. “I have a lot to tell you,” then you turned to see in the direction where Ravus was looking at your exchange. “And there’s someone I want you to meet.”

<>

  
  


“There you go, brand new,” Mr. Sophiar said to Ravus as he finished the final touches of his arm, lining it in its leather case and then wiping his forehead with a cloth. “Sure a great engineering job. Too bad who made it.”

Ravus looked at his arm in some amazement and tested all his movements, from flexing his elbow to opening and closing his hand. “I am grateful, Mr. Sophiar.”

“Hell you are,” the old man crossed his arms over his chest. “It ain't my best job but it'll work. You owe me a couple of favors.”

“Of course,” Ravus nodded and stood up from the chair. “Let me know when you need me.”

“I will,” the mechanic gave him a brief nod before gathering his tools and turning to clean the mess he made.

“Looks good,” you said next to him, looking at his arm. “Maybe you can swim now.”

Ravus gave you a tiny glare and began to walk, heading to the stairs. “I'd rather not have to try that again.” You chuckled and walked by his side. “Interesting woman, your master Kimya.”

You scoffed. “It’s weird that you call her master but yeah, she is.” You’d left them alone several hours ago while catching up with some of your fellow hunters that you had encountered in town. “What did she tell you?”

“Putting aside her strange speech pattern, she didn't say much.” Both of you start walking down the stairs to go to the viewpoint. “She hinted that because I had Oracle blood, that had prevented my complete ... transformation, and that was why the potion you used had been even more effective.”

“Hm, that makes sense,” you crossed the plaza once crowded with food stalls and Exineris workers, now full of scaffoldings, boxes, multiple supplies and tired hunters next to glaives in no better condition. “Or maybe we were just lucky.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“Well,” you crossed the street, “It was luck that I had found you, that we had reached the Ravatough and that we had met your friends there.”

He made a grimace of something like distaste. “I would not call them exactly friends.”

“Okay, okay. Acquaintances who tried to kill you. In self defense for what I could hear.” 

He frowned at you and that made you laugh, it didn’t work on you anymore. As you crossed the parking lot, a couple of cars parked and a call made you both turn. The big man Gladio came trotting to your encounter.

“Hey,” he greeted and then addressed Ravus. “He’s here.”

“Very well,” Ravus nodded and turned to you.

“Go on,” you said, waving a hand before he could say something. “I’ll see you later.”

Both men turned and walked together toward one of the cars from which Prompto and another man with a visor you didn’t recognize from before, came out. You walked slowly to the opposite side but still looking at them. The stranger seemed quite surprised, just like the other two when they had seen him, but he extended his hand which Ravus took in a hand shake. Then Prompto took a cane and handed it to the man who used it to guide himself in some steps up the ramp with the others. You remembered the mini truck conversation. That had to be Scientia. And it seemed like they were expecting him.

When you lost sight of them, you went to the lookout. No doubt in the light that covered Lestallum, the sky seemed more… green, but it was brighter. So much so that one of your former comrades had lent you some sunglasses because it was -who would believe it, much more light than you were used to seeing and your eyes resented it.

The Disc of Cauthess could be seen in the distance, as always, but it seemed covered in a layer of dust. The rest of the landscape was as before but ... sad. Dry, brown, like stopped in time. You stayed a few moments looking at it but found it too depressing, so you decided that maybe it would encourage you a little more to walk the crowded alleys of the formerly warm city.

You were curious if there were traces of what had once been the most famous market in Cleigne, so you took one of the alleys on the left of the square to get there, but halted and took a step back upon hearing a thick known voice at the right exit and hid behind the wall.

“Unbelievable, huh?” the voice you recognized as Gladio’s said.

A moment of silence and then an accented voice you didn’t hear before, spoke. “Indeed,” he seemed to consider whatever he was told. “But I must say I have seen some things. Well. Before.”

“Do you think...it can help?” so Prompto was there, too.

The accented man hummed. “It is quite intriguing. Do you say that this woman could enhance the power of the havens?”

“Yes.” That was Ravus, and he was telling them about Kimya. What the hell were they talking about? 

“And her potion healed you…” Another moment of silence shared between them. Then the man sighed and spoke with sorrow. “But I keep thinking there is not a way out.”

“I believe his immortality comes from the scourge itself.” A pause from Ravus. “There is not only one true path.” Hey, he's paraphrasing. “With what I experienced, I believe she is right.”

“What are you suggesting?” Gladio asked.

“I suggest we try. The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work and we have to accept fate.” Ravus answered, decided.

“We have tried everything…,” the stranger spoke with a dark tone. “I suppose… there is nothing else to lose.”

“I shall look for the hunter then,” Ravus said. Fuck, that was you. “Wait for me here.”

Almost without hearing the last phrase, you ran out and went down the alley in the opposite direction to take the path then up and out to the square again. Turning around, you made sure no one was following you and walked out into the plaza as if you hadn't heard the strangest conversation ever. Whatever they were planning involved Kimya and apparently you.

Catching your breath, you walked up the stairs again to find Ravus coming out of the last alley. “I was searching for you,” he said. “I need your aid.”

“Again?” you crossed your arms and switched your weight to one foot. “I'm going to start charging you.”

“I think the reward may be of your interest.”

“Oh yeah?” you rose a brow.

“Yes.” 

“And what is that, exactly?”

He nailed his uneven eyes on yours.

“To bring back the light.”

<>

  
  


“Well, that’s something...huge,” you said astonished after the four men explained the plan. 

“You think she can do it?” Gladio quickly asked.

You smiled and hummed. “I seriously doubt there’s another person who can try.” The three men in front of you seemed excited, while Ravus beside you was cautiously following the conversation.

“But,” Prompto cut his excitement a bit, even though he was almost jumping. “How do we make it happen in all havens at the same time?”

“Well,” Ignis, the last one you met, put a gloved hand on his chin. “I suppose we will have to resort to some kind of detonation device.”

“I doubt there are enough batteries for that,” Ravus replied. 

The corners of Prompto's lips turned incredibly downward. “Then what?”

“Ummm,” You couldn't understand why they were getting so complicated. “We can send pairs of hunters to each haven and have them use the potion at the same time,” you shrugged. Working in little teams was something you were used to.

The four men looked at you dumbfounded, so much so that for a moment you thought you’d said something stupid. “Of course,” Ignis sighed, finally going out of his stopped motion, “there are at least two dozens of havens only in Lucis. That should be enough… Keep it simple.”

“Then it’s set?” Prompto asked with renewed glowing in his eyes.

“Let's not get ahead of the facts,” Ignis warned. “We still need to talk to Kimya.”

“Oh, I’ll take care of that,” you said with a smile. “Is this all you need?”

“Almost,” Ravus turned to look at you with a severe expression. “We will need to use the same potion you used in me.”

“...O-Okay.”

Gladio crossed his arms over his chest. “But we need it ultra powerful.”

You had the necessity of more information at this point, so narrowing your eyes, you asked. “What  _ exactly  _ do you need?”

<>

  
  


“With me, sit down, my child,” Kimya invited you into the small room she owned, incredibly even smaller than the cabin where she used to live, and brought the old kettle that was already hot. “That which plagues your mind, what is it?”

While serving the tea, that delicious recipe of her that sometimes you missed so much, you ordered your thoughts. “You know I blindly trust what you do but I think what they are asking for is... far too crazy.”

She made that gentle smile of hers and sat next to you. “Desperate times, desperate measures demand.”

“So... you agree with me?”

She took a sip of the tea and you followed her, feeling that warmth that seemed to calm all turbulence within you. Her tea had always had that power. “That one they call the Accursed, the world in darkness, he has plunged.”

“The Accursed?” you asked.

She nodded. “The one to purify they want.”

Your braws drew together. “How do you know about him?”

She closed her eyes and seemed to remember, a slight smile taking shape on her lips. “In times of youth, when the king and the Oracle the dungeons sealed, the story of the Accursed the ears of the hunters reached.” She took another sip of the tea and you waited patiently for her to continue. “Ezma, its disclosure avoided, but those of us who survive, its terrible evil we know.”

Without taking your eyes off of her, you replied. “So you think it can work.”

“Fate, I cannot know,” she turned to look at you with those tired aquamarine eyes. “But of my feet, every step my decision is.” 

You watched her for a few beats and finished your tea. What other option was there? If as they had told you, this was the only closest way to turning him mortal so that they could ... well, finish the job, and if the havens blessed by the Oracle boosted their power enough at the same time to dispel the cloud of miasma that covered the world, who were you, a simple hunter, to stop them? Haven't you had to roam in the darkness too and drag a human from the claws of the plague?

“Now that your heart says, what is it?” That gentle look of hers pinned in your eyes when you turned at her. 

You smiled and let out a small chuckle. “ The last time I followed my heart, I found a new companion that brought me here.” The smile grew bigger and you nodded softly. “I think it can work.”

She returned the smile and put her hand over yours in your lap. “Then a great job before us lies.”

<>

  
  


The Titan-sized task was not easy. Whole weeks were spent gathering the ingredients needed for the potions. The most difficult were the horns because it was already difficult to find wild animals, but the hunters had a good reserve in the Meldacio HQ. 

It took some effort to convince Ezma of the plan, but finally, faced with the new circumstances, she realized that there was nothing else to do.  _ Perhaps this was what you were destined for _ , she even told Kimya, and gave her everything she asked for, even putting the hunters who still remained with her at her service.

Without realizing it, the months passed. Ravus and the other three whom you were getting to know little by little, constantly went out hunting and gathering what was needed. You, on the other hand, spent most of the days with Kimya in what was now called "the coven", which was nothing more than her old room now crammed with countless supplies to complete the potions. Tests came and went, the four men were in charge of going out to bother some daemon to observe the results that on a couple of occasions didn’t go well and they had to return this time for healing potions.

Fortunately, nothing to regret ever happened. And they always completed the task with an enthusiasm with which you hadn’t known them.

If this didn't work, you knew they would at least have the certainty and a clear conscience that they had really tried everything. 

Everything. And you would, too.

Over time, the days became darker, which you didn’t think possible. The less experienced were no longer allowed to hunt and instead had to stay in town tending to the hydroponics, artificial lights, and small pens that had been arranged to be set up in what was once the market. That because the daemons grew stronger and with the constant casualties, those who were going to face them almost always ended up outnumbered by far. All of you just couldn't afford any more losses.

The morale of the people was beginning to decline. Just like the food. What was found outside the city was little and what was grown on hydroponic farms was hardly enough. Not to mention how little there was to feed the animals. Some were beginning to die and others were in no condition to reproduce.

Time was simply pressing.

“When the sun about to rise is, the night, the darkest seems,” Kimya dragged you out of your thoughts with a gentle smile while you were using the mortar. You returned the gesture and gathering your concentration again, continued with your task.

The potions were ready, all of them. Even that one that could be the difference between fate and will. All lined up on the table waiting for their moment.

A gentle knock on the door startled you. You knew who it was.

“It is time,” Ravus said when you opened the door and something clenched in your chest. Giving a brief look at Kimya who came to your side, you nodded and gathered the potions carefully in your bag. 

She gave him a small smile and turned to you when you passed by her side. Taking your hand in hers, both stayed in silence looking at each other for a couple of seconds. Nothing needed to be said. 

“I’ll be right back,” you gulped down a tear and she nodded softly, putting her other hand over yours.

“Waiting for you, my child, I will be,” her smile grew a little. Then she turned to Ravus when she let go of your hand and you stood next to him. “A good use, give to this,” she handed him the potion she mastered in all this time. 

He received it and grabbed it in his hand. “I cannot be grateful enough, master Kimya.”

She chuckled, amused, and clasped her hands in front of her. “Who you should thank, it is not me. Now go, Eos to heal needs.”

Giving her a last smile, you turned and walked alongside Ravus down the stairs where everyone was waiting. The hunter and glaive pairs were already formed and the other three men were waiting to one side along with former members of the Crownsguard.

“Everything’s ready?” Gladio asked. All three men wore the same royal black uniforms.

“Yes,” Ravus answered. “We can depart.”

Prompto gave a big exhalation and Ignis arranged the front of his large jacket. Silence reigned for a moment between the five of you. This could be the last time…

“Then off we go,” Ignis said after giving a sigh. “Thank you for everything and good luck,” he addressed you with a nod.

“Good luck to you, too,” you replied softly.

Gladio put a large hand on your shoulder, giving you a small smile and then walked behind Ignis who was already heading to the mini truck that was going to transport them to Hammerhead where they were going to meet in a couple of days with -you couldn’t believe it, King Noctis, who would return. If someone had told you that a few years ago, you would have laughed in their face.

“So, um…,” Prompto stood in front of you. “I guess, I-I’ll see you later?”

You chuckled and extended a hand which he took and relaxed. “Sure. Thanks for everything, Prompto. Take care out there.”

“Yeah,” the blonde released your hand and sighed smiling. “You too.” He took a couple of steps back and went running to join the others.

When you turned to Ravus, he was already looking at you. “I believe I never thanked you.”

You let out a small laugh. “No, you didn’t. But you can do it when you come back.”

“Hm,” he directed his gaze to the spot where the others were waiting for him and turned to you again. “That seems fair enough,” then he extended his flesh hand to you.

You shook it and smiled. “Come back in one piece, okay? We ran out of potions because of you.”

He made the tiniest of chuckles and let go of your hand. “Stay safe,” he nodded once, then turning on his heels, he went to join the other three men. They all got into the mini truck and you followed them with your eyes down the road until you lost sight of them.

Sighing and against your will, praying for their well being, you turned then to the group behind you and letting the bag on the ground, started distributing the potions among the couples. 

“Okay, let me see your alarms,” checking every one of them, you nodded. “Good. You know what to do. When the alarm goes off, drop the potions on the haven,” you sighed and look at them all. “Be careful getting there. Those who go to the most remote ones must leave now.”

They all nodded and separated into their teams, several of them headed for the cars in which they would go to the havens that had been assigned to them. Everyone was capable but the most experienced would go to the most dangerous locations. You just wished that everyone could get there, the more havens were empowered, the more chances it would be to dispel the scourge.

Teaming up with your hunter partner, you went to your assigned vehicle and drove to the Kellebram Haven, inside the Malmalan thicket that you knew very well. 

After getting there and fighting a horde of daemons inside the thicket, helping you with the potions you brewed all this time with Kimya, you both managed to get to the haven and camp there until the signal was boosted. 

With the potion at hand, the alarm went off. In one movement, you smashed the vial against the rock which glowed like you’ve never seen before and both of you had to cover your eyes with the intense blue light. 

Your job was done. 

The next time you open your eyes, you hoped to see the blue sky again.

<>

  
  


Some old men sitting at a table in the open air were laughing and playing cards. Children were fighting with swords made of cardboard and running among the people who were carrying boxes and dismantling the scaffoldings. A woman with short hair scolded them so they ran to one of the alleys to keep playing without being bothered.

The Exineris workers went to their usual shifts, one of them stopping by the skewer stall that was parked at the beginning of the stairs again. Not that the skewers had much meat these days, but he managed to find some stuff to replace it. And it worked pretty well.

The farmers were the first to go. When you returned to Lestallum a day after seeing the sunlight return, the farmers were already packing to go home. No one knew how they were going to get the land back on track, but everyone was convinced that with water and a little patience, the crops would return soon. 

The animals were going to be a problem, however. Most were gone forever but with the ones that had been preserved, they hoped to increase their numbers little by little with the returning of the lands to raise them, not in a confined space anymore.

Going down the stairs to go to the viewpoint to give a look to the somehow bright landscape again, you realized how life was coming back to life itself.

But a hole was still in your chest.

More than a week had passed since the light returned and there was no news from Ravus or any of the other men. No one had seen them. Nothing in the broadcast transmissions full of joy and messages of hope.

You came to the conclusion that you would only wait a little longer, maybe another week, and then you would go to Insomnia to look for them yourself... Even if that meant to find their bodies at the end.

Reaching the viewpoint, you found the old photographer marvelled with the sight. He’d been there for the last four days, taking pictures of everything he could. No one seemed happier than him and no one had adjusted faster to the light again. Many still wore sunglasses, that suddenly became a necessity after so many years in the darkness, but a few others were beginning to gradually leave them. 

He stopped wearing them on the second day. He said he had to see the new world with his own eyes. You were sure he had lost some visual acuity by doing it.

“Nice day, huh?” you said, standing next to him.

“Each one more beautiful than the last,” he turned to you joyfully. “Smile!”

You laughed and outstretched a hand to cover his lens in an attempt to stop his shot. “I don't want to ruin your photos, Vyv.”

“You won’t,” he chuckled and looked at his camera. “I guess I’ve captured every single person in Lestallum, except you.”

“Let’s keep it that way, it’s not something people want to see.”

Suddenly, a hubbub was heard nearby. Turning around, you noticed that people were beginning to crowd around a car that was arriving at the parking lot. Squinting, you couldn't see much, so you started walking over there. 

When you were going up the stairs from the lookout, a head with silver hair stood out among all of them.

Frozen, you stood still as the silver haired man made his way through the crowd only for it to crowd even more behind him, surrounding the car, starting to cheer and scream at whatever or whoever they were seeing coming out as he walked in your direction when he spotted you.

You couldn’t help but smile. And surprisingly, he returned the gesture. 

He smiled from ear to ear.

You’ve never seen Ravus smile before.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was fun to write. If you got this far, I hope you had fun reading it as well.
> 
> In case you're wondering, yes, the title of the fic is a paraphrase of the movie "Seeking a friend for the end of the world", and the chapter titles are quotes from it. It just... fit this right. 
> 
> Keep enjoying the fics from the big bang and thanks a lot for being here. 
> 
> See you soon!


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